Gregory S. Berns
Distinguished Professor of Neuroeconomics and Director of the Center for Neuropolicy
Professor in Economics Department, Emory University
Ph.D. University of California, Davis, 1990
M.D. University of California, San Diego, 1994
Research Interests
My research is aimed at understanding the neurobiological basis for individual preferences and how neurobiology places constraints on the decisions people make -- a field now known as neuroeconomics. To achieve this goal, we use functional MRI to measure the activity in key parts of the brain involved in decision making. We then link these activity traces to various phenotypes of decision making. For example, we have linked the pattern of activity in the striatum with the differential processing of risk and reward. More recently, we have used this activity to predict the commercial success of popular songs – the first prospective demonstration in neuromarketing. Ongoing research projects are developing these methods to probe decision-making across the lifespan and to measure the influence of social information at the neurobiological level. These results have found application in understanding common stock investing errors, and more recently, in the stock market’s reaction to earnings announcements. We are also studying decision-making over “sacred values” in the brain and its implications for terrorism.
And finally, we are using fMRI to study canine cognitive function in awake, unrestrained dogs.
Recent Publications
- Ariely D and Berns GS: Neuromarketing: The hope and hype of neuoroimaging in business. Nat. Rev. Neurosci., 11:284-292, 2010. PDF.
- Berns GS and Atran S: The biology of cultural conflict. Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. B, 367:633-639, 2012. PDF. HTML.
- Berns GS, Brooks AM, Spivak M: Functional MRI in awake unrestrained dogs. PLoS One 7(5):e38027, 2012. Link. PDF.
Iconoclast
A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently
Recently published by Harvard Business Press (2008) and named by Fast Company as one of the 10 best business books of 2008.
800-CEO-READ Business Book Award in Innovation & Creativity for 2008.
